I'll Come Back For You
by thepointarchitect
Summary: "Promise me you'll come for me." "Of course, love. I'll always come for you." "Eames—I" Her eyes were red brimmed and watery. Her voice was barely above a whisper. She could barely speak, it hurt too much. Her energy escaped from her and she was gone. Her hair was limp and matted to the sides of her face. Her body was still warm but the heat was escaping her quickly.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the first fic that I have decided to write and upload so please leave plenty of reviews if you liked it and if you didn't, I'd still like to know your opinion. I know the movie came out three years ago but I hope there are Inception fans out there that still love to read/write new fics about it just as much as I do. If you liked this there will be plenty more to come so watch for more :)**

**I've been getting many positive reviews about this story but they all said that I should break it up into chapters so to satisfy the readers I decided to :) Thanks for taking the time to review for anybody who did so!**

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not even Inception on DVD :(_

Ariadne woke to the loud banging of the warehouse door swinging open. She sighed, knowing that she fell asleep once again while working on her mazes. She sat up straight in her chair and stretched her back. She rolled her neck and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. The voices of Eames and Arthur bickering floated through the air as they got closer to her secluded corner. Ariadne hurried to organize some of her sketches and drawings to avoid their nagging of how she needed to get a proper night's rest again.

She glanced in her little mirror sitting on her desk and realized that she would not be able to easily hide the deep purple bags underneath her eyes. There was a knock on the door frame and Ariadne slowly turned around, keeping her eyes on the ground.

"Morning, love." Eames said then looked at her face more closely. Ariadne avoided looking him in the eyes.

"You slept here again didn't you?" Eames said as more of a statement instead of a question.

"Yes, sorry. Okay, I did. But we're running on a tight schedule, Eames. We need to get this done by Friday and I know I won't be able to finish unless I put the extra hours in." Ariadne replied exasperatedly.

Arthur walked in the door next carrying two mugs of coffee, handing one to Ariadne.

"Here, drink."

"Thank you, Arthur."

"I'll take that." Eames strode over to her and snatched the mug out of her hand. "You are going to get some proper sleep. It's not healthy to just be running on this shit all the time."

"Stay the night here again?" asked Arthur.

"Yes, she did." Eames answered for her and then gestured towards Ariadne. "C'mon, I'm taking you home."

"I have work to do." Ariadne said shortly and turned her back on him. She went back to organizing her desk, shifting models around and stacking layouts.

"You're turning into Arthur, working too much. I won't let that happen." Ariadne didn't hear him creep up behind her but suddenly he was slipping his hands over the top of hers to take the rolls of blueprints she was holding out of her hands. He left little tingly sensations over where he touched her skin.

"Let's go, darling. I'll drive you home."

His voice was so close to her ear it made her jump and she could feel the scruff of his stubble brush the side of her face. Suddenly she didn't feel tired at all. She was very alert and very aware of the not-so-subtle contact between her and Mr. Eames; his body heat radiating against her back.

As he slipped away and towards the door she reluctantly gathered up her things and followed him.

Ariadne must've fallen asleep on the way to her apartment or something because when she woke up she was tucked safely away in her bed. That means Eames must've carried her inside. Huh, she smiled warmly at the thought. She blearily checked her phone for the time: 5:28 PM. _Great, I slept the whole day away, but wow it felt good. I'll have to go in later to catch up on my mazes. _Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she stood up and walked to the bathroom. She splashed water on her face and feeling refreshed she headed out the door ready to go back to the warehouse.

Ariadne arrived back at the warehouse within the hour and walked in on Eames and Arthur arguing about something. It had to do with the job but she only caught the tail-end of the conversation.

"Tell them no. We're not gonna have enough time, you know that." protested Eames.

"We're going to miss our chance. I know we're already pushing her but this is a risky job, Eames."

"We haven't even got the sedatives back from Yusuf yet."

"They'll be here tomorrow morning before our flight. He called me an hour ago."

"Talk to Ariadne first. Don't go deciding things yet, Arthur."

"Talk to me about what?" Ariadne took this as her cue to jump in.

Arthur and Eames looked up startled. Eames shot a glare at Arthur and Arthur began explaining, "Our deadline's been moved."

"To when?"

Arthur paused and frowned, "Tomorrow night. We'll be catching a 9am flight to Barcelona tomorrow. We'll be there by noon and have the rest of the afternoon to set up."

"Okay."

"Okay?" Eames looked bewildered. "Are you sure? Your mazes are all finished?"

"Well that's why I came in tonight; I'll get them done. We'll just need to run some tests. Arthur will you stay late with me?"

"Absolutely. I'll just run home and pack real quick."

"What about me? You don't need me to stay late? I must be of no help then, huh." miffed Eames.

"Sure you can stay. You just tend to be a bit of a distraction." Ariadne blushed and turned away quickly to hide it.

Ariadne was sure Eames hadn't seen but he chuckled to himself as he retreated to his desk.


	2. Chapter 2

Arthur sat intently working at his desk as Ariadne finished up the maze of the third level. Eames sauntered over casually but didn't say anything. He just observed the young woman before him; loose strands of hair falling around her face, an intense look in her eyes as creativity sprung from somewhere deep inside her, her hands flying all around the desk as she drew and erased and repeated the process over and over.

Ariadne saw Eames watching her out of the corner of her eye. She smiled to herself. It felt like he was silently praising her for her work and that made her feel like she was doing a good job.

At last, she let out a sigh of relief and leaned back on her stool.

"Finished."

"That was incredible." Eames said breathlessly.

Ariadne blushed again but didn't try to hide it this time.

"That's truly brilliant," he mused as he walked around to her side of the desk to observe it more closely. He checked his watch. "Wow that was much quicker than I thought it was going to be. 9:15. Perfect, we still have plenty of time to run tests. Shall we?" He held out his hand.

"We won't be able to go down to the third level just yet because we don't have the sedative. Are you confident with the maze though?" Arthur asked Ariadne as they set up their deck chairs.

"Don't worry, I saw the model. It's perfect." Eames replied for her. Ariadne caught the wink he sent her way.

"Well, I guess if Eames says it's perfect then everything is going to go absolutely fine." Arthur said sarcastically.

Ariadne was actually a bit nervous. They haven't gone this deep since the Fischer job. She had been having nightmares the nights before but she didn't bother telling Arthur or Eames. They would just worry and that wouldn't do any of them any good.

"You don't have to say it like that, love. Hurtin' my feelings."

Arthur rolled his eyes at him and set up the PASIV.

"See you on the flip side." Eames said aloud as they all drifted into the dream.

"Those will be just fine. This isn't going to be an easy job and there are a lot of risks, especially considering the depth we're going." said Arthur as they woke up in the warehouse again.

"Is this even possible? A three-person team with a three level dream?" Ariadne asked nervously as she wrapped her sweater around her body tightly.

"We'll be meeting three more people in Barcelona. Don't worry I've briefed them over and met with them before about everything. We'll be fine." Arthur replied.

Ariadne wasn't convinced but let her concern rest for now.

Ariadne paced around her apartment nervously as she packed quickly for Barcelona. She was very restless and she knew she would not be getting a good's night sleep tonight. Even after she finished triple checking that she had everything for tomorrow, she still laid in bed wide awake.

She thought about calling Eames. Maybe even Arthur. When Eames had dropped her off again tonight he commented on how distressed she looked and said to call him if she needed anything. He'd be over in a heartbeat. She glanced at her alarm clock: 5:31 AM. _Fantastic, only four more hours_. She returned from the bathroom with some NyQuil in a last attempt at getting some rest and before she knew it her eyelids were heavy and she was fast asleep.

Ariadne was jolted awake by two muscular arms shaking her violently.

"Ariadne, for the last time… Wake up!"

Ariadne blinked hazily up at the man who had her by the shoulders. It was Eames. She slowly came to realize that she probably had slept in much later than she was supposed to. She knew NyQuil was a bad idea but she figured the sleep would benefit them all in the long run.

"Ariadne, we have to go. Our plane leaves in an hour and it takes us forty-five minutes to get to the airport."

Eames was pulling her to her feet before she could even move for herself and didn't seem to notice that she was wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt. Or he at least acted like he didn't notice.

He shoved her ahead of him out of the apartment before she even had the chance to put pants on. Arthur's car was idling by the curb.

"Eames! Let me back in!" Ariadne embarrassedly tried to push past him back inside. Instead, he gently looped an arm around her waist and kept her tight to his side then tossed her in the back seat.

From the passenger seat he handed Ariadne her packed duffel and flashed a silly grin.

Eames couldn't help but sneak a few looks back at Ariadne as she changed into more decent clothes in the back seat. She caught him looking back at her but she didn't snap at him; just blushed and modestly covered herself up. Eames couldn't help himself. He hadn't quite realized how pretty Ariadne was with her pale skin and deep brown eyes. Her eyes matched the color of her hair and created a stark contrast with the tone of her skin. It was the unconventional kind of beauty that wasn't so obvious to some people. She was so young and independent and full of innocence. Concern started to rise inside of him as he realized that he wanted to _keep_ it that way. He didn't want her getting too involved in this business. He and Arthur would have to set up jobs for her to keep her away from the untrustworthy people.

They made it to the airport in the nick of time and boarded their flight. As Arthur was leading his way to their seats they realized that one of them would be sitting separated from the rest. Ariadne offered to take the separated seat but Arthur moved to it before her.

"No, you sit with Eames. If I have to sit next to him for a two-hour flight I'll go mad. Don't worry I don't mind."

Ariadne laughed and moved for the window seat just as Eames finished storing their bags in the overhead compartment.

"What do you think you're doing, missy?" Eames asked jokingly.

"Sitting in _my_ seat."

"I don't see your name on it."

"Oh… really? I could've sworn I had it on there—" Ariadne plopped into the seat as she faked searching for her name on it. They were acting like such children.

"Alright love, but we're switching on the flight back." he compromised and sat down in the seat next to hers.

"Deal."

Ariadne must have been looking restless again because Eames asked her about it once again.

"It's nothing to worry about." she replied staring out the window at the clouds below them.

"Ariadne, we need to know if something's bothering you."

"It's just… I don't know. The risks. I don't like anything about this. If we have to go three levels deep just to uncover this guy's secrets I don't think it's worth it."

"Ari, we're the best at what we do. Arthur doesn't pick jobs he doesn't think we can't handle. We've done this before." Eames reassured.

Ariadne was surprised at the little nickname he used for her. But she oddly liked it.

"Yes, but with people we _know_."

"You know _me_. And I'm not gonna let anything bad happen to you. Me and Arthur both."

Surprising Ariadne again, even himself this time, Eames reached an arm around her and pulled her close. He kissed the top of her head and rubbed his thumb in circles against her arm. Ariadne knew he had nothing left to say but in that moment she felt more reassured than she had in the last couple of days.

Eames listened to the rhythmic breathing of Ariadne as she slept soundly on his shoulder. He kept his arm around her, liking the warmth that her body gave off. They had lifted the armrest between them so they could sit closer and Eames wasn't sure what to make of the situation. Right now, he wasn't exactly sure what to call it but he was positive that he liked it.

The pilot came on the intercom announcing they would be landing shortly and Ariadne woke shortly after as the plane began its descent.

She smiled to herself as she looked out the window and then sleepily looked up at Eames.

"Good afternoon, love." he grinned at her.

The three of them gathered on the curb outside of the airport waiting for their ride. Arthur removed himself from the group to talk to someone on the phone and when he returned a sleek black car was pulling up in front of the trio.

The driver rolled down the window to reveal a man who seemed a little older than Eames. He had a sharp jawline and hair darker than the color of Arthur's with piercing black eyes.

"Hello again, Eames."

Eames' body tensed and he forced a smile.

"Always lovely to see you, Drake."

"Drake, meet Ariadne. She's our architect." Arthur introduced.

Drake scanned his eyes up and down Ariadne and gave her a little smile.

They arrived at the hotel and had met the others, Mitch and Tony. They rented out two rooms; Arthur, Eames, and Ariadne staying in one and Drake, Mitch, and Tony in the other. The group ran some final tests for the job and then broke for a late lunch. Drake offered for Ariadne to come with the guys down to the bar but Eames interjected saying that they already had plans to go out together. Ariadne looked taken aback but once back inside their room Eames explained,

"Stay away from him."

"What are you talking about? I thought you said to trust all the guys Arthur and you choose to work with."

"Oh he's one of the best extractors I know, almost as well as Cobb. But I don't like the way he deals with _women_. He's a bit handsy. I've seen it before and I don't like it. Just be safe, Ariadne. Promise me you won't go anywhere with him?" Eames said anxiously.

Ariadne nodded speechlessly.

"So where shall we go for lunch then, my dear?" Eames said with a happy change in his tone and held out his arm to Ariadne.

Ariadne and Eames began walking along the beautiful streets of Barcelona. Ariadne was amazed at the architecture before her and couldn't seem to get enough of it. She held her head way back to look up at the tall buildings reaching into the sky. The streets were filled with people bustling about by car, by bike, by foot. Scents of delicious Hispanic food wafted through the air and filled their noses. Ariadne lowered her eyes to meet Eames' and found him already staring back at her.

"What?" she questioned.

"Nothing… Just enjoying the view." he answered with his signature grin.

They found a tapas bar where they munched on all sorts of Spanish delights and engaged in fun conversation. During the Fischer job they never connected this well and Ariadne was wondering what took so long for this to happen. As they sat at the bar Eames' hand playfully entwined his in Ariadne's. Ariadne blushed and spoke softly amidst the loud music playing and the groups of people talking, "The others will be wondering where we are."

"Let them wonder." Eames said and moved suddenly and swiftly, grasping Ariadne's cheek with his other hand. He gently guided her face to his and planted a salty kiss on her lips. Ariadne's free hand moved to the back of his neck, pulling his face tighter to hers to deepen the kiss. The music seemed to melt away along with their sense of time. Eames hungrily leaned closer to Ariadne, but Ariadne playfully removed herself from him, breathing hard. Upon opening her eyes she could see the lust in his and she teased him by pecking him on the cheek before getting up from her stool. She brushed his lips with hers tauntingly as she walked past him towards the door. Eames shot up from his seat and quickly followed.


	3. Chapter 3

Arthur was impatiently waiting for them when they arrived back at their room.

"Where've you been? We were supposed to meet back a half hour ago!" he spat.

"Relax, darling. Ariadne needed to get her mind off things. We are about to take on a risky job."

Arthur rolled his eyes suspiciously and went next door to retrieve the three other men.

Ariadne stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in a floor length black dress with a plunging back and a slit running up her left leg. Her hair was up in a side-do and she wore bright red lipstick and dark eye shadow. She did not look like herself at all.

Eames saw Ariadne step out of the bathroom in the mirror he was attempting to tie his bow-tie in. _She was stunning._ Ariadne sidled over behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and she leaned the side of her face against his back. She snuggled up against him.

"Is that a gun I feel or are you just happy to see me?" Ariadne joked.

"What do you think?" Eames chuckled and gave up on the tie. He loosened her grip to turn around and embrace her.

"You look absolutely gorgeous, love," he kissed her on the cheek and then whispered in her ear, "Don't wanna ruin your lipstick."

Ariadne smiled and reached up to fix his tie. Arthur entered the room moments later looking extra sharp in his tuxedo. It was a little change-up instead of his usual three-piece suits.

"Ready?" asked Arthur.

"As I'll ever be." replied Ariadne.

They pulled up in front of a huge mansion with tall columns and arches and a grand fountain centered in the yard. The parking veered off to the left, the dancing was inside, and the food and drinks were outside to the right. The yard was decorated with twinkly lights and big white tents were set up. From inside shown bright chandeliers and spotless marble floors. Eames held his hand out to Ariadne as she stepped graciously out of Drake's car.

"Drake and I will find the room. Mitch and Tony you stay on the lookout for guards. Eames find your mark and Ariadne work your charm. Rendezvous in an hour." Arthur spoke quickly and then the group diverted.

Eames led Ariadne by the arm to the ballroom. Eames watched her first step foot in the mansion and easily figured she was the most beautiful one there.

"Dance with me, love," Eames cooed in her ear and began to blend into the sea of people dancing swiftly with their partners.

As they danced both of their eyes peeled the crowd looking for their mark. Ariadne wished they weren't working a job right now so she could just enjoy the dance because it felt like _bliss_. She could smell the fresh aftershave lingering on his skin and she cradled her head closer to his to inhale deeper. Ariadne's breath tickled against Eames skin and he surprised her by spinning her in a circle and ending with a gentle dip. He placed a delicate kiss on her neck and pulled her back up.

When Ariadne was upright again, she spotted their mark over Eames' left shoulder.

"That's him." she murmured.

"Alright, let's get to work."

Their job was to invade their mark's mind, who was a leader of a mob that organized sex trafficking and smuggling drugs across international waters and borders. His name was Joseph and according to Eames was a _ruthless bastard who should go rot in hell, or worse, in limbo._ No doubt this guy's had to have had an extractor train his subconscious against invaders at some point so that's why they have to go so deep to find out who he works for and where their quarters are.

Arthur and Drake found Joseph's office. An hour later the team had met up again. Eames and Ariadne were the last to arrive carrying a passed out Joseph over his shoulder.

"Sedated, and heavy as a log." Eames grunted and tossed Joseph not-so gently onto the floor.

"Whose mind are we going in exactly?" asked Ariadne.

"Mine," huffed Mitch who she's barely only ever spoken two words to.

Drake locked the doors and Arthur set up the PASIV. They all positioned themselves in armchairs or propped up against a wall.

"See you soon, sweetie." Eames squeezed Ariadne's hand as she sat in the chair next to his and fell into unconsciousness.

Ariadne found herself sitting at the bar in the swanky club she designed that resembled a bit like the forties. She wasn't quite sure how to go about creating the levels but Arthur said _mobster_ and she thought _forties_. She looked down at herself and found she was dressed in a bright red cocktail dress that hit just at her knees. Her hands reached up to her hair and she ran her fingers through the elegant sausage curls. Ariadne spotted Arthur and Eames sitting together in the dining area at one of the dimly lit tables she designed. She looked around the room again and saw Mitch sitting at the bar just to her right. Drake was dancing with some woman he must've just picked up and Tony was walking over to join Mitch.

Arthur nodded at Ariadne. Eames smirked and winked at her. It was show-time.

She spotted Joseph just entering the club with his entourage. If he wasn't such a cruel person Ariadne probably would admit that he was a bit good looking. He was around Eames' height but a lot less bulked up. He had a short, dark brown crew cut and unusually trimmed eyebrows. Two men flanked his sides and he headed towards the VIP section, by the stage.

As they sat down, Joseph pulled out a cigar and his buddy lit him up. He was glancing over the bar when Ariadne caught his eye over her shoulder. She gave a little smile and winked and now she had Joseph's attention. Ariadne turned back around and was ready to wait for him to approach her. She hoped he would because she didn't want to go over there first. A waiter dressed in all black approached her and set down a martini in front of her with two olives.

"From the man over there, miss." the waiter said and gestured over to Joseph who was watching her.

Ariadne picked up the drink and sauntered over to Joseph and his crew. She took a sharp breath and sat down on the arm rest of his chair and he casually draped an arm around her waist. With his other hand he held onto his cigar and Ariadne tried not to gag at the smoke. Her eyes flitted over to where Eames and Arthur sat. Eames had his back to them but Arthur watched them intently over his shoulder.

"What do you say we get out of here and go somewhere quieter?" Ariadne whispered into his ear.

A mischievous smile spread over Joseph's features as he rose and took Ariadne by the hands.

"I have some business to attend to boys, meet back in an hour," he left his cigar smoking on the ashtray and tucked a loose hair behind Ariadne's ear. She tried not to tense up; she knew Arthur and Eames wouldn't let anything bad happen to her.

Joseph had led Ariadne up to the room he was staying in which was exactly the one they had planned on. She tried to remain as calm as possible but she was impatiently waiting for the arrival of the others. Joseph left no time to waste; he took Ariadne into the bedroom and began kissing her roughly. Ariadne squeezed her eyes shut and tried to go along. She tried to think of Eames but Eames would _never_ be this rough with her. His wandering hands began to make his way up her dress and instinctively she pushed him away. Joseph looked at her taken aback but Ariadne covered it up with a teasing smile. He grabbed her more fiercely then and pushed her harder down on the bed.

_What was taking them so long?_ She hoped they didn't run into any trouble. She didn't know what she was going to do if they had.

Joseph had his hands caressing her torso and began to squeeze hard. At first she tried to ignore it but it started to burn. She let out a cry and pushed him forcefully away. Anger flared up in Joseph's eyes and before she knew it he had flung a hand out, striking her across the face. Ariadne fell on the floor stunned by the shock of it. Her cheek began to feel numb and she felt dizzy. She faintly heard the sound of a door opening and a fight ensued. She turned her head in a daze to see Eames knocking the man unconscious and Arthur was at her side instantly.

Arthur helped her move to the bed, gently taking her hands. He touched her cheek lightly, "Oh, Ariadne I'm so sorry. We ran into some of his thugs on the staircase. I didn't expect to take so long."

"Yeah, well me neither." Ariadne tried to make the situation lighthearted but Arthur's eyes were just filled with guilt.

"Come on, we have to move quickly before he wakes up. Get the sedative ready." Drake spoke up and came into the room carrying the PASIV. Mitch and Tony followed holding a duffel carrying their arsenal.

Arthur gave Ariadne's hand a tight squeeze and then moved to help the other guys. Eames then came over and sat on the bed next to her.

"Don't worry, love. We'll exploit every little secret this bastard has," he reached his thumb up to wipe away her smudged lipstick, leaving a simple kiss on her cheek.

"Shouldn't we be swamped with projections right now?" asked Ariadne as she stood to the side watching the other men do all the work.

"Joseph probably had the extractor train the deeper parts of his subconscious, rather than the parts right on the surface. We won't find anything up here. It's a rather smart idea. The deeper we go the more security there will be. So we'll be safe up here for the most part." Arthur stated matter-of-factly.

"You ready, lad?" Eames turned to ask Tony. They would be going into his dream next. Tony nodded and placed the IV into his arm.

The center of the second level of the dream was an abandoned warehouse where they were keeping Joseph. The team met up quickly knowing projections would be closing in on them soon. When Eames saw Ariadne's bruised cheek he couldn't help but wince and then cursed under his breath for letting her get hurt. Arthur told her to imagine that the bruise wasn't there and Eames watched in amazement as the black-blue color disappeared from her face.

"Does it still hurt?" asked Eames.

"Yes."

"I'm so sorry, Ari." Eames drew her in close for a hug but she cringed as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Where else are you hurt?"

"Just my ribs. They're just bruises, c'mon." Ariadne ignored his concern.

Eames and Drake put ski masks on and headed into the other room where Joseph was chained up. They removed the burlap sack over his head, aiming a gun at his temple.

"What the hell is this? Where am I?" So far their plan was working. They got him to believe that when they kidnapped him from the hotel they brought him here.

"Tell us what you know." Drake stated coldly.

Joseph huffed and then spat at their feet. Eames pistol-whipped him across the face. As he recoiled, blood was dribbling down his chin.

"I'm gonna say it again: tell us what you know." Drake said raising his voice.

"Look, I don't know who hired you but I'm obviously tellin' you nothing." Joseph glared up at them with narrowed eyes.

Eames looked at Drake and said, "Call him. He'll know what to do."

They retreated out of the room with Joseph shouting after them.

"Any luck?" questioned Arthur automatically.

"Well, we can't exactly do much to torture the guy. We don't want to risk killing him," Eames sighed exasperatedly, "Any sign of the projections?"

"Not yet." Ariadne replied from her position by the window.

"Eames, how much did you study on Joseph's right-hand man?" asked Drake suddenly.

"Enough."

"Forge him. It's our best shot."

With Eames transformed as Joseph's right-hand man, Jonathan, he waltzed back into the room folding his arms disapprovingly.

"What the hell-?"

'Jonathan' punched him square across the face.

"The boss knows what you've been doing. You know how he deals with traitors." Eames took a wild stab in the dark.

A worried expression graced Joseph's features for just a second, confirming Eames' assumption.

"Is that what this is? Some sort of intervention? Is this the boss' doing?"

"What do you think?"

Arthur burst into the room then, wearing a black ski mask, "We gotta move."

From the other room there was the sound of glass shattering and rapid gunfire.

"There's my backup."

Eames replied by upper cutting him right under the jaw and knocking him unconscious.

Tony drove their getaway car wildly through the streets as they evaded armed projections from Joseph's training. Bullets ricocheted off the sides of the van and shattered the glass of the windows. Ariadne explained to him the escape route from the passenger seat and Eames and Arthur manned the guns from the back.

"There's a helipad on the top of that hospital if we can get there!" shouted Ariadne over all the noise and pointed to a tall building that reached into the dark sky.

The projections began to thin out as they got farther away from the center of the city and Tony skidded to a halt in front of the "Urgent Care" entrance to the hospital. One by one they flew out of the van and into the bright light of the well-lit waiting room.

"This way!" called Ariadne as she sprinted ahead.

Something was very wrong upon entering the hospital. The staff was nowhere to be found and there were no patients. There should have been projections of some sort. This seemed to click in Arthur's brain at the same time as Eames' because suddenly Eames was hysterical and shouting for Ariadne to wait.

As she flung open the stairwell door Eames couldn't help but just stand and stare in shock as she collapsed to the ground. He turned on the assailants in the stairwell and opened fire. Ariadne curled up on the floor, clutching her stomach. Her face turned a sickly pale and her eyes started to water.

"Eames…" Ariadne reached out a bloody hand.

Eames struggled to keep his strong façade up but it faltered as he saw his innocent architect before him, bloody and battered.

"Don't go dying on me. Everything's gonna be alright." Eames scooped her up in his arms and she gripped his shirt tight. Arthur led the way up the staircase, Eames followed carrying Ariadne. Tony had Joseph supported on his shoulder and Drake picked up the rear.

"You promised me… You promised me everything would be okay." Ariadne said dazedly. She couldn't focus right now. The pain was too great.

Eames couldn't bear to look down at her. Ariadne could see the guilt in his eyes.

"It's not your fault."

"Yes it bloody is! I promised to look after you!" he choked on a sob.

Ariadne focused on looking at Eames. She wasn't going to lose herself. She would keep fighting. She wasn't going to get stuck down there. Eames could feel her body trembling in his arms. He blinked back hot tears and focused on Arthur moving ahead of him.

"I don't wanna go back there… Not again." Ariadne whimpered.

Eames pressed a hard kiss to her forehead, trying to hold back tears himself. It was strange; he'd never been this emotional before especially on a job. They arrived at the roof after what seemed like an eternity and started loading up the helicopter. Drake took over as pilot with Tony as his co-pilot.

"Give me the kick, Arthur." Ariadne struggled to speak as Eames gently shifted her into the helicopter. Since it was a medevac, there was a stretcher that they were grateful for. He laid her down softly and was astonished at the amount of blood she had lost.

"What did you say?" asked Arthur, kneeling down next to her.

"Give me the _kick_. Throw me o-out of the chopper." Ariadne's stomach felt like it was on fire. She just wanted to stop the pain. She coughed and Arthur wiped the blood away from her mouth with his handkerchief.

"Love, that won't work," interrupted Eames. He raised his voice to be heard over the helicopter engine's starting up, "The sedatives are too strong. I'm sorry… I'm so sorry."

Ariadne reached for his hands. Eames kissed the bare skin that wasn't caked with blood.

"It's not your fault," she managed a weak smile.

"Ari, hang on. You're going to be fine."

"Promise me you'll come for me."

"Of course, love. I'll always come for you."

"Eames—I"

Her eyes were red brimmed and watery. Her voice was barely above a whisper. She could barely speak, it hurt too much. Her energy escaped from her and she was gone. Her hair was limp and matted to the sides of her face. Her body was still warm but the heat was escaping her quickly.

"Ari… Ariadne!" Eames shook her limp body violently. Her eyes were lifeless and empty. "Oh god, no…"

As the helicopter took off, Eames clung to Ariadne's lifeless body. Kissing her forehead over and over and brushing the hair from her face.

"We'll find her, Eames." Arthur said, laying a reassuring hand on his shoulder.


	4. Chapter 4

Ariadne woke up sputtering and coughing on the shores of limbo. It was just as she remembered it. The buildings that Cobb and Mal built were still withering away, but now there were Saito's additions that were falling apart also. The thought that she would be leaving her mark here too scared her deeply.

The pain in her stomach was gone. The bruises that Joseph left were gone too. Along with Eames and Arthur. She took a deep breath and began walking through the deserted area. She had no idea how long it would take for them to find her. She bent over a puddle and gazed at herself in the still water. _Don't lose yourself_. She remembered the words she had spoken to Cobb when she left him to find Saito. Now she had to remember exactly that.

For the first year, Ariadne was completely alone. She spent her time building and creating. Imagining all sorts of new concepts of architecture. She created a small house for herself that was drastically different from her apartment. She didn't want to get confused. The loneliness started to really settle inside her. After the first year the projections started coming. They came in the form of Eames. After all she wasn't really surprised. He followed her wherever she chose to walk that morning. He followed her as she mapped out giant skyscrapers. He would try to speak to her and even _sing_ to her to try and get her to acknowledge him. She knew if she did that she would start to lose it. This continued on for the next couple years. Eventually she started carrying a gun around with her, shooting any projection of Eames that encountered her. She was marking the days that she was stuck on the wall in her bedroom and every morning she hoped that she wouldn't wake up to that wall filled with seemingly endless tallies.

One morning she found herself sitting on the roof top of one of her latest creations. It was taller than the other buildings she had chosen to create and she gazed out over the endless space that stretched all around her. It had been fifteen years and Ariadne was feeling the burden that came with middle-age. She was no longer as ambitious as she used to be. Her ideas began to wear thin, but still she filled her days with creating. She just wished she had _someone_ to be with.

That's when she came up with an idea. Instead of imagining Eames, she pictured her parents. Projections of her deceased parents. It helped her remember that this was still all a dream because her parents were certainly long gone in the real world. It was certainly an elegant solution of keeping track of reality Ariadne thought. She spent years with them, making up for the time that she should've gotten to spend with them.

As Ariadne laid down to rest after another day of creating, she dreamt of Eames. They were happy and dancing, just like they did at the gala. Arthur was there too and even Cobb. The dream turned sour when Joseph entered. He was on a rampage and he opened gunfire on the whole event. The ones she loved dropped dead all around her. Eames threw his body over Ariadne's to protect her and then he slumped to the ground, dead.

Ariadne shot upright in her bed, drenched in a cold sweat. Her eyes had opened to the wall filled with tallies before her.

But that was not the only thing that was in her room.

After searching through all of the endless buildings that Ariadne created, and she sure created an abundance of them, he had found her. Eames was standing in front of Ariadne's bed watching her sleep. Her face was contorted into an awful shape and he could see the time Ariadne spent down here in the wrinkles on her face. He wanted so badly to reach out to her but the horrible thought that she might not remember him had settled deep in the pit of his stomach.

So when Ariadne woke up screaming, he had no choice but to carefully step out of the shadows.

Her face was wide with shock and instinctively she pulled her gun out from underneath her pillow. Eames had barely enough time to duck and roll to the opposite side of the room as she fired off a shot. As she prepared to fire again Eames launched himself at her, knocking the gun from her hands. She started screaming as he pinned her arms over her head, knocking her backwards against the bed.

"Ariadne! Stop screaming and listen to me!" he shouted in her face.

Ariadne finally shut her mouth and narrowed her eyes at him, giving up the struggle against his strong arms.

"Ari… It's me. I came for you." Eames said carefully. He knew it was going to take some persuasion to convince her that he was real.

"That's what they all said. And you know what I did to them? I shot them all." the horrible memories of her killing the one she loved day after day resurfaced and tears threatened to spill over her eyelids. She turned her head away, not able to look him in the eyes.

Just the thought that Ariadne had to _kill_ him just to keep her sanity made him cringe. He can't believe that she had to go through all of this.

"Let me prove it, love."

"What's my full name?" asked Ariadne at last.

Eames' face scrunched up for a second before he finally breathed a sigh of relief, "You never told me, darling."

Ariadne's face was astonished and then lit up in delight before she leaned as far up as she could, catching him in a lip crushing kiss. _Yes, this is real. I know it._ She felt the butterflies that she always felt when he was with her surge up in her stomach again. Eames let go of his grip on her arms and moved his body closer to hers on the bed. He grabbed her by the waist with one arm and the other around her neck. She wrapped her legs around his back, holding him close to her body. She opened her mouth a little more to give way for his tongue. The effect was nearly dizzying. _God, she missed him._ They pulled away at the same time both breathless.

"I told you I'd come for you."

Ariadne awoke abruptly. She couldn't seem to catch her breath. Her shaky hands flew to her throat.

"Ariadne!" exclaimed Arthur.

She opened her eyes warily and found herself back in their hotel room in Barcelona. Arthur startled her as he helped to take the IV out of her arm. She looked around the room and saw Eames sitting up in his arm chair removing his IV also. She couldn't speak at the moment so she just laid there silently as Arthur fussed around her. She shut her eyes.

_She was free. She was no longer in limbo. Eames had saved her. This is reality._

"Ariadne… Arthur is she alright?" asked Eames anxiously.

"It's too soon to tell. Physically, yes. Mentally, well we'll have to see."

Somebody sat down on the bed next to her and took her hands. He kissed them gently and Ariadne opened her eyes to Eames' marble like blue eyes.

"Ariadne, love. Come back to me please." he pleaded.

Ariadne managed a smile, squeezed his hands, and finally said, "I'm here."

When Ariadne was sure that she was alright—for the time being at least—Arthur and Eames informed her that the job had been successful and that they found out whom Joseph's employer was, that he was stealing drugs from the shipments, and selling them to rival gangs.

"I'm glad my suffering wasn't for nothing." Ariadne had meant for it to come out as a joke but guilt was mirrored in Arthur and Eames' eyes.

"I didn't mean it—it's not your fault," she said to the both of them and took one of each of their hands, "You got me out, that's what counts."

Arthur informed them that their flight would depart for Paris at 8 AM tomorrow.

The first night Ariadne spent back in reality was awful. She woke up several times in the night haunted by the nightmares of having to kill Eames. She felt guilt for repeatedly waking Arthur and Eames up even though they assured her they weren't getting much sleep anyways. Eames pulled her close on the bed and she rested her head on his chest, her breathing heavy. He started to sing her to sleep and it helped. The only difference was that this time it was _real_.

On the flight back, Ariadne absentmindedly sat in the window seat, thinking nothing of it. The fact that she forgot the little bet that he had teased her about on the flight there made Eames' heart hurt a little. He couldn't help the rising concern that he might've actually lost his Ariadne down in limbo.

About twenty minutes into the flight, Ariadne turned to Eames and asked him seriously, "What's my full name?"

"You never told me, darling." he smiled, hoping to get one out of her also.

She returned the smile and Eames couldn't help but ask what it was.

"My full name is Ariadne Linn Roberts."

"That's a beautiful name," Eames responded and planted a kiss on an unsuspecting Ariadne's lips.

They removed the armrest between them again and Ariadne nestled up against his shoulder. After a while she broke her gaze out the window and looked up at Eames' scruffy jaw. He caught her looking up at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Do you want to talk?" suggested Eames.

"Not particularly. But Arthur said it'll help."

"Only when you're ready."

"Lots of things happened down there, Eames. I imagined my parents being there. That was my way of keeping track of reality. They're dead, Eames. I had to picture my dead parents to make sure I knew that it was all a dream. And you… God, I'm _so_ sorry. I shot you, day after day. I had to reassure myself that _that_ you wasn't real. It was awful." Ariadne confessed.

He didn't know what to say so he just held her tight to his side.

"Well I'm glad that you didn't shoot the real me." Eames finally said.

Ariadne chuckled.

"Thank you, Eames."

A month later, Eames moved in with Ariadne. It wasn't really that much of a change since Eames was either at Ariadne's place or Ariadne was at his. Arthur called at least once every week and came around to visit at least once every other week. Ariadne was distant for a long time. Eames found her sitting on the windowsill often, just looking out at the street below. Not doing anything in particular. He always wondered what she'd be thinking about. It'd take a while but eventually she always came back to him. He'd let her sit for a while before coming over and wrapping his arms around her. He'd shift her onto his lap as he sat behind her. They'd sit that way for however long seemed necessary. He'd kiss her neck and collarbone before Ariadne would give in and he'd lift her up, carrying her to the bedroom.

Two weeks after Eames had moved in, Ariadne stopped having nightmares. Or at least she didn't wake up screaming in the middle of the night. Eames asked her about it the next morning.

"Any nightmares last night?"

She breathed a sigh of relief and shook her head.

One rainy afternoon, Ariadne lay on Eames' bare chest tracing the outline of his defined muscles and of his several tattoos. Her delicate touch left sensations all over his skin. His hand ran up and down the smooth skin of her back and he started to drum the rhythms to her favorite songs. Ariadne let out a satisfied sigh. She didn't know what had changed in her that day but she finally felt _free_. She was with Eames and that's all that mattered. He had been her rock from the start even if she didn't know it. The age difference seemed to work with them. Ariadne needed someone of his age and maturity to be like her rock, to support her. He needed someone of her intelligence and youth. She rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him staring contentedly up at the ceiling.

"Eames?"

"Yes, darling?" he lowered his eyes to meet hers and smiled.

"I love you," she didn't even really expect it to come out. It just sort of did. But she needed to say it and he needed to hear it.

"I love you, too." Eames' eyes glistened and he pulled her face to his so he could kiss her.

From that moment on, they both knew she would be alright.

_End._

**Thanks so much for the reviews; they are literally making my whole day/month/year/life. Watch for more if you like this pairing especially. I'll also be posting some Ariadne/Arthur fics if you enjoy reading those too :)**


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